Anwar instructed MACC chief to spare Farhash over controversial share purchase, says report

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had instructed the head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) not to investigate his former political secretary Farhash Wafa Salvador over the controversial purchase of shares in a company linked to the development of a new billion-ringgit immigration system,  Bloomberg reports citing three sources said to be familiar with the matter.

The financial daily also reported that MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki had told his officials that investigations into former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his three sons and former finance minister Daim Zainuddin were  launched on Anwar's instructions.

Both MACC and the Prime Minister's Office have denied the claims.

In March, it was reported that Farhash had secured a substantial stake in a company shortlisted to develop a new billion-ringgit immigration system.

The 41-year-old PKR leader took a 15.91% stake in HeiTech Padu Bhd through his company Rosetta Partners Sdn Bhd.

Farhash had said Rosetta Partners was a subsidiary of Mfivesouthsea Sdn Bhd, which he jointly owns with Kelantan's Sultan Muhammad V.

The purchase in HeiTech Padu came just a day after MyEG Services Bhd acquired a 14.4% equity interest in the company for RM31.25 million cash on March 11.

That same day, HeiTech Padu announced it had received a one-year extension of its contract to maintain the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) worth over RM13 million.

HeiTech Padu was one of three companies shortlisted by the government to develop the RM1 billion National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe) project, a replacement for MyIMMs.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg's report today said MACC staff were instructed to refer to the investigations into Mahathir and Daim as part of "ongoing probes into revelations from two giant document leaks", a reference to the Pandora and Panama Papers.

According to the report, Anwar's actions since taking office contradict his earlier promises when he led the Reformasi movement for more than two decades.

It said Anwar failed to fulfil his promises to repeal draconian laws such as the Sedition Act and instead used such laws against his political rivals such as Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.

"He has a growing credibility problem," the report quotes seasoned Malaysian politics watcher Bridget Welsh as saying.

"The disappointment is even greater because the expectations were higher," she added.